Andy Charrier
Andy Charrier
[/B]Dear Friends
One month ago a wrote my first impression about my brand new M7. It was my first time with a Leica and also the very first time with a rangefinder cameras. Now, with a little more experience I woul like to write a second view about my Leica.
I m a Nikon SLR 35 mm users so this is my comparison chart.
The first thing I notice when I hold in my hands was that the body was cold very cold.
That’s mean that the camera was build completely of metal. That was really great. Cold and heavy, very heavy too. So the camera was build inside also of full metal.
My Leica M7 is as heavy as my Nikon F100 maybe even more. But that doesn’t really matters me at all. I am used to carry for long periods in the outdoor a Nikon F4 extremely heavy.
I bought some weeks ago the Leica hand grip. It looks made of steel too. But when I hold in my hands it was very light. Very, I mean VERY disappointing :bang: . I think this tool is useful in my case, is well constructed and keep the line of Leica stile, you can change film without taking it out. But is not long enough and breaks the line of the camera body. Strange. I liked Bessa R grip that’s long enough and doesn’t cut the camera form. I will used it for a while until I get used to handle with out it. The grip stay separate fron the camera body, that is very strange and I ignore really why. The grip also have a little “nail” in the back side that can maybe damage the camera cover. The cover feels good but Matus classic M6 leather is slip less.
I wrote in my first impression that the M7 had two sharp endings above close to the rewind crank. Im not saying that this sharp endings are hurting my face, not at all. But when you handle it gives a strange feeling in my hands. Matu`s new classic M6 has more rounded and softer finish I liked it a lot, I prefer that. The plastic battery compartment cover is still very disappointing to me, I cant understand it. M6 is also plastic but inside it has a steel screw that keeps the batteries firmly inside and gives a hard finish to the top. I still cannot understand why the camera is sooooooooo extremely battery dependant. I think is a very big mistake of the Leica Company. M6 works with out battery in any single speed even the flash works without problem. M7 flash wont work with out battery and I am very used to used fill flash with my Nikons. About flash… every single person who said that they don’t use flash in his Leica pictures is in some way recognising that they don’t know how to really use it. I mean, to use it in the way you don’t notice at the first look. Im working for about 5 years with my Nikon SB50 fill flash and is really complicated. Just take a look at the National Geographic magazine and if you learn to “read” light you will see what I say in almost every single photograph. That’s the main reason why Metz create an advanced dedicated Flash for Leica M system that is capable of sync speeds up to 1/1000 So why my camera hot shoe cant work without batteries?! :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:
As I can imagine AE for old Leica users could be a big cultural shock as I read in the web this days, but I think is a great idea. Im 34 years old and I have been living the last 15 years in a digital world so I need an AUTO something in my camera. But why not add a design with a full mechanical/electronical hybrid interface to create an all mechanic camera like the MP or M6 with AE, so difficult cannot be for Leica engineering. Maybe in 15 years more with the M8, who knows. I would choose this changes much more than an autofocus system like the Contax G2 that looks for me much more like a point and shot camera. To understand the secret meaning of the frames systems is still very difficult to me . I never know wich frame selector Im using. I know I will get more used to it with the years but why not show the frame number in the LCD camera back panel (just joking!) 🙂 . The frame counter is something that I like a lot. It looks old and rough that’s nice. I will hate to have every each number as other modern cameras. It was extremely difficult for me to charge the film but in this weeks I learn to do it even in dim light but it is very slowly, but gives character to the camera. That’s my main reason to reject Voigtlander Bessa cameras as second body. But the chamber is too thin.
The quick-wind lever has a plastic moving finish is soft and useful but MP lever is made of steel, it would be nice to have the option to choose between both. Shutter speed dial of M7 is great big and solid. M6 is so little. Any way I love the filling of Nikon F4 or Sony F828 digital camera dial ring. Rewind crank is a little bit slippery and too short (size matters!!) it would be much faster and easy to hold a little bit longer.
My 35/1.4 (old? 2722437) summilux is so little I cant really hold it but this a SLR lens professional deformation.
Anyway my beloved brand new black German girlfriend with her sexy red point is still the sweetest thing I ever had. I’m still in love with her exactly the same as the first day maybe more and more. Smooth, soft, cold and heavy are only excellent adjective for this STATE OF THE ART baby. Those who know can not explain, those who do not know can not understand. As you may probably share with me the picture is not inside the camera body not even in the lens. The picture is an abstract idea and you need sometimes a powerful tools to create that idea. But photography, photography is not about pictures it is about cameras. Isn’t it? That’s why we are in the forum.
Thanks a lot again and a gain and sorry for so many bored words 😱 . I promise you this is the last time.
Thanks Matu again for all you time and patience with me Im very gratefully with you again. Congratulations for you new M6 Titanium guachita. 😉
I will love to hear ALL your comments .
Andy Charrier.
One month ago a wrote my first impression about my brand new M7. It was my first time with a Leica and also the very first time with a rangefinder cameras. Now, with a little more experience I woul like to write a second view about my Leica.
I m a Nikon SLR 35 mm users so this is my comparison chart.
The first thing I notice when I hold in my hands was that the body was cold very cold.
That’s mean that the camera was build completely of metal. That was really great. Cold and heavy, very heavy too. So the camera was build inside also of full metal.
My Leica M7 is as heavy as my Nikon F100 maybe even more. But that doesn’t really matters me at all. I am used to carry for long periods in the outdoor a Nikon F4 extremely heavy.
I bought some weeks ago the Leica hand grip. It looks made of steel too. But when I hold in my hands it was very light. Very, I mean VERY disappointing :bang: . I think this tool is useful in my case, is well constructed and keep the line of Leica stile, you can change film without taking it out. But is not long enough and breaks the line of the camera body. Strange. I liked Bessa R grip that’s long enough and doesn’t cut the camera form. I will used it for a while until I get used to handle with out it. The grip stay separate fron the camera body, that is very strange and I ignore really why. The grip also have a little “nail” in the back side that can maybe damage the camera cover. The cover feels good but Matus classic M6 leather is slip less.
I wrote in my first impression that the M7 had two sharp endings above close to the rewind crank. Im not saying that this sharp endings are hurting my face, not at all. But when you handle it gives a strange feeling in my hands. Matu`s new classic M6 has more rounded and softer finish I liked it a lot, I prefer that. The plastic battery compartment cover is still very disappointing to me, I cant understand it. M6 is also plastic but inside it has a steel screw that keeps the batteries firmly inside and gives a hard finish to the top. I still cannot understand why the camera is sooooooooo extremely battery dependant. I think is a very big mistake of the Leica Company. M6 works with out battery in any single speed even the flash works without problem. M7 flash wont work with out battery and I am very used to used fill flash with my Nikons. About flash… every single person who said that they don’t use flash in his Leica pictures is in some way recognising that they don’t know how to really use it. I mean, to use it in the way you don’t notice at the first look. Im working for about 5 years with my Nikon SB50 fill flash and is really complicated. Just take a look at the National Geographic magazine and if you learn to “read” light you will see what I say in almost every single photograph. That’s the main reason why Metz create an advanced dedicated Flash for Leica M system that is capable of sync speeds up to 1/1000 So why my camera hot shoe cant work without batteries?! :bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:
As I can imagine AE for old Leica users could be a big cultural shock as I read in the web this days, but I think is a great idea. Im 34 years old and I have been living the last 15 years in a digital world so I need an AUTO something in my camera. But why not add a design with a full mechanical/electronical hybrid interface to create an all mechanic camera like the MP or M6 with AE, so difficult cannot be for Leica engineering. Maybe in 15 years more with the M8, who knows. I would choose this changes much more than an autofocus system like the Contax G2 that looks for me much more like a point and shot camera. To understand the secret meaning of the frames systems is still very difficult to me . I never know wich frame selector Im using. I know I will get more used to it with the years but why not show the frame number in the LCD camera back panel (just joking!) 🙂 . The frame counter is something that I like a lot. It looks old and rough that’s nice. I will hate to have every each number as other modern cameras. It was extremely difficult for me to charge the film but in this weeks I learn to do it even in dim light but it is very slowly, but gives character to the camera. That’s my main reason to reject Voigtlander Bessa cameras as second body. But the chamber is too thin.
The quick-wind lever has a plastic moving finish is soft and useful but MP lever is made of steel, it would be nice to have the option to choose between both. Shutter speed dial of M7 is great big and solid. M6 is so little. Any way I love the filling of Nikon F4 or Sony F828 digital camera dial ring. Rewind crank is a little bit slippery and too short (size matters!!) it would be much faster and easy to hold a little bit longer.
My 35/1.4 (old? 2722437) summilux is so little I cant really hold it but this a SLR lens professional deformation.
Anyway my beloved brand new black German girlfriend with her sexy red point is still the sweetest thing I ever had. I’m still in love with her exactly the same as the first day maybe more and more. Smooth, soft, cold and heavy are only excellent adjective for this STATE OF THE ART baby. Those who know can not explain, those who do not know can not understand. As you may probably share with me the picture is not inside the camera body not even in the lens. The picture is an abstract idea and you need sometimes a powerful tools to create that idea. But photography, photography is not about pictures it is about cameras. Isn’t it? That’s why we are in the forum.
Thanks a lot again and a gain and sorry for so many bored words 😱 . I promise you this is the last time.
Thanks Matu again for all you time and patience with me Im very gratefully with you again. Congratulations for you new M6 Titanium guachita. 😉
I will love to hear ALL your comments .
Andy Charrier.
